My Sons and Their Sons
by Cold Nostalgia
Summary: "I swear to devote my life to the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty, and injustice, in all their forms! My sons and their sons shall follow me." The 1st Phantom never mentioned anything about daughters.


…My Sons and Their Sons

By

Cold Nostalgia

Disclaimer: Don't own them don't sue.

* * *

1. The End of the Beginning.

"I'm still not happy about this."

The statement hung quietly in the air while Jedda placed books that would probably remain unread onto the shelves of her new home. Barely repressing a tired sigh, she turned and faced the seated figure of her father.

"Father, I'm fine," she crossed the floor and took his hands into her own. "Why won't you believe me?"

Kit Walker, the twenty-seventh Phantom who had decided, for reasons unknown to Jedda, to leave his costume at back at Monitor for the day, shifted uncomfortably in his suit and tie. Resembling more a shy, overgrown school boy than one Earth's greatest heroes, he looked up at his only daughter with blue anxious eyes that Jedda found herself hating.

"Because I'm not." Kit said quietly.

Jedda blinked, pulled her hands away and sank down beside him on the couch. With carefully practiced ease she pushed down the last several weeks of emotional turmoil and looked at her father, her eyes bright with a sincerity that she didn't feel.

"I need to find myself, father."

"Most people don't need to move to another continent to do that." Kit pointed out.

Jedda bit her lip, stopping the immediate reply from escaping. "I never wanted to leave Africa; I never wanted to go to the United States. You know this."

Kit looked flabbergasted and Jedda turned away not used to seeing so much emotion on her father's face, how she wished he kept his mask on. "I thought you grew to love it at Monitor, you made friends in Central City."

"Yes, I did," Jedda agreed truthfully, "but you know what they say, there's no place like home, right?"

Her father grunted, got up and walked over to the window and gazed down at the city below. Greenhaven City was never your home."

"Close enough," she shrugged.

Kit grunted again. "It's a cesspit."

"It's also the fastest growing city on the continent and the economy's booming."

"It's still a cesspit."

Jedda folded her arms, "well, maybe I can put my skills to use here."

Kit spun on his heel, his eyes burning. "No. That is not what we agreed," he extended his hand and struck his palm for emphasis. "You wanted to discover what you wanted to do with your future, that future does not involve crime-fighting."

"A few weeks ago crime-fighting was the only future I had." Jedda replied sulkily, not really wanting to start an argument but unable to help herself.

"A few weeks ago you would have had instant backup support from the other Defenders and myself. Here, you're on your own and you're too young." Kit said smoothly.

"Tad's here," she pointed out, "and I just graduated high school."

"Tad Walton is a scientist who faints at the sight of blood," Kit responded, steel entering his tone, "and I, along with the school, allowed you to graduate early against my better judgement." He folded his arms across his chest, "I mean it, Jedda. If you ever see anything untoward you will report it to the proper authorities, and if you see anything that you feel the police are unable to handle you will immediately contact the other Defenders and myself, am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, father."

Kit sighed, ran a hand across face and looked tiredly at his daughter. "I'm not saying these things to make your life more difficult. I'm seeing these things because I love you and I don't want you to get hurt."

"I understand, sir."

Kit searched his daughter's face, not really knowing just what exactly he was looking for. All he knew anything would have been better than the pleasant and bland expression she'd adopted since this whole thing had begun. _She's turning into her mother,_ he thought to himself sadly.

Desperate to break the thick silence that engulfed the room, Kit look around the area. "Are there any more boxes?"

Jedda shook her head, already breaking the last one down and neatly folding it. "No, that's it."

"Oh."

Jedda smiled although it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Would you like a cup of coffee before you head back?"

Kit glanced at the chronometer and cursed inwardly. "No. Lord Ailsley will probably be contacting monitor within the next couple of hours, I should probably head back."

"Alright then."

In one swift movement Kit hugged his daughter and inwardly cursed how stiffly she returned it. "Remember, this is only for a year. Just until you decide what you want to do with yourself, what you would like to do at college."

Jedda pulled away and looked up at him. "Yes, father."

Kit nodded stiffly, crossed the room to the front door and then turned to face her. "Jedda," he began softly. "You would have been an excellent Phantom, never doubt that, not for a moment."

"Thank you for saying so, sir."

Unable to think of anything to say, again he nodded. "I'll call you either later on tonight, or tomorrow morning depending on how this latest situation turns out."

Jedda gave a small smile, "never ends, huh?"

"No," he said softly.

"Give my love to Kevin."

"I will."

And he was gone.

Jedda closed her eyes, her breathing too loud against her ears; her muscles too taut and tight in her own body. Control. She needed more control.

And again she pushed it all down, desperately trying to forget.

* * *

The journey to back to Monitor was swift and uneventful. The mansion was usually empty around this time of day; making the small task of slipping into his quarters undetected a trivial matter indeed.

Automatically and with practiced ease, Kit changed back into his costume, emptying his mind of the day's events and innumerable anxieties; ignoring how tight and constricting it felt against his skin. With no little effort he switched his focus to the back to the upcoming situation at hand.

How he detested anything to do with the Mongo rebellion. Before he'd joined the Defenders, the political state of affairs on Mongo had been of very little interest to him.

Nevertheless, it would be a good experience for Kevin in his training and perhaps another blow could be dealt to Ming, weakening his iron grip of power on the ice planet and in turn his foothold on Earth.

With one last glance in the mirror and twenty six generations worth of duty falling across his shoulders, the Phantom walked out of his quarters and towards Monitor.


End file.
